JPH07121643A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accurately recognize the information by reading the information written on a mark sheet, binarizing the read information into the pseudo halftone, and deciding the presence or absence of the written information based on the binarization data to process the images. CONSTITUTION:It is decided whether an original is set on an original feeding device or not. If not set, an original setting request is displayed. If the original is set, the original is sent onto a platen and then read. Then the image information on the original read by a reader part 1 is sent to a file part 5 and stored in one of plural memories. A CPU of the part 5 decides whether the stored image information is identical with a mark sheet or not based on the presence or absence of a mark sheet deciding mark. If a mark sheet is confirmed, a prescribed check column is read out of the mark sheet and binarized into the pseudo halftone. Then the deciding result of the check column is judged.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for processing an image according to the information on a read mark sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, in order to make it easier to store document information in an image storage / retrieval apparatus, a document image filing apparatus using a mark sheet having information about storage has been proposed. In this type of apparatus, a mark sheet and a normal original are mixed and read, the mark sheet is automatically discriminated, and the document information is recorded.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, when the mark sheet and the normal original are read under the same conditions, there is a drawback that the thinly marked information cannot be recognized correctly with a pencil or the like. The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus that can be accurately recognized by binarizing information written on a mark sheet into pseudo halftone.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the image processing apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. In an image processing apparatus for processing an image according to the information on a read mark sheet, a reading unit for reading the information written on the mark sheet, and a binarizing unit for binarizing the information read by the reading unit into a pseudo halftone. It has a judging means for judging the presence / absence of information written by the binarizing data by the binarizing means, and a processing means for processing an image according to the judgment result by the judging means.

[0005]

In such a configuration, the information written on the mark sheet is read, the read information is binarized in pseudo-halftone, and the presence or absence of the written information is judged by the binarized data, and the judgment result is determined. To process the image.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image processing system according to this embodiment. Figure 1
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an image input device (hereinafter referred to as a “reader unit”) that reads a document and converts the image data into image data. The image input device 2 has a plurality of types of recording paper cassettes. An image output device (hereinafter referred to as “printer”) 3 for outputting is a document image filing device electrically connected to the reader unit 1 and has various functions. The document image filing device 3 is connected to a fax unit 4 for transmitting and receiving images according to a known facsimile transmission procedure, a file unit 5 for converting various document information into electric signals and storing the signals on a magneto-optical disk, and the file unit 5. An external storage device 6, a computer interface unit 7 that interfaces with a computer such as a personal computer or a workstation, a formatter unit 8 that develops code information from the computer into image information, and stores information from the reader unit 1 or a computer. An image memory unit 9 for temporarily storing the information sent from the computer, and a core unit 10 for controlling the above-mentioned units are provided.

The configuration and operation of each part related to the present invention will be described in detail below. <Description of Reader Unit 1> FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the reader unit 1 and the printer unit 2. The configuration and operation will be described below. The originals accumulated on the original feeding device 101 are sequentially conveyed one by one onto the original glass 102. When the original is conveyed to a predetermined position on the glass surface 102,
The lamp 103 of the scanner unit is turned on, and the scanner unit 104 moves to illuminate the document. The reflected light from the document passes through the mirrors 105, 106, 107 and the lens 108, and the CCD image sensor unit 109 (hereinafter referred to as “CCD”).
Called).

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a signal processing circuit of the reader unit 1. The configuration and operation will be described below. The reflected light of the document with which the CCD 109 is irradiated is photoelectrically converted here, and converted into electric signals of red, green, and blue colors. The color information from the CCD 109 is A / D by the following amplifiers 110R, 110G and 110B.
It is amplified according to the input signal level of the converter 111.
The output signal from the A / D converter 111 is input to the shading circuit 112, where uneven light distribution of the lamp 103 and uneven sensitivity of the CCD are corrected. The signal from the shading circuit 112 is the Y signal generation / color detection circuit 113.
And the external I / F switching circuit 119.

The Y signal generation / color detection circuit 113 obtains the Y signal from the signal from the shading circuit 112 according to the following equation. Y = 0.3R + 0.6G + 0.1B Further, it has a color detection circuit for separating the R, G, B signals into seven colors and outputting the signals for each color. The output signal from the Y signal generation / color detection circuit 113 is input to the scaling / repeat circuit 114. Scaling in the sub-scanning direction is performed according to the scanning speed of the scanner unit 104, and scaling in the main scanning direction is performed by the scaling circuit / repeat circuit 114. It is also possible to output a plurality of same images by the scaling / repeat circuit 114. Contour / edge enhancement circuit 115
Obtains edge emphasis and contour information by emphasizing high frequency components of the signal from the scaling / repeat circuit 114.
The signal from the contour / edge emphasis circuit 115 is input to the marker area determination / contour generation circuit 116, patterning / thickening, and masking / trimming circuit 117.

Marker area determination / contour generation circuit 116
Reads the portion of the manuscript written with a marker pen of a specified color to generate the contour information of the marker, and the next patterning / thickening / masking / trimming circuit 117 thickens or masks the contour information. Trimming.
Further, patterning is performed by the color detection signal from the Y signal generation / color detection circuit 113.

An output signal from the patterning / thickening / masking / trimming circuit 117 is input to a laser driver circuit 118 and converted into a signal for driving a laser (not shown). The output signal of the laser driver 118 is
The image is input to the printer 2 and image formation is performed as a visible image. When outputting the image information from the reader unit 1 to the document image filing device 3, the external I / F switching circuit 119 outputs the image information processed by the patterning / thickening / masking / trimming circuit 117 to the connector 120. . When inputting image information from the document image filing device 3 to the reader unit 1, the external switching circuit 119 is used.
Inputs the image information from the connector 120 to the Y signal generation / color detection circuit 113.

The above-mentioned image processing is performed according to the instruction of the CPU 122, and the area signal generation circuit 121 generates various timing signals necessary for the above-mentioned image processing according to the value set by the CPU 122. Further CPU 122
Communication with the document image filing device 3 is performed using the communication function built in the. The SUB / CPU 123 controls the operation unit 124, and at the same time, the SUB / CPU 123
Communication with the document image filing device 3 is performed using the communication function built in the.

<Description of Printer Unit 2> The configuration and operation of the printer unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG. The image signal input to the printer unit 2 is modulated by the exposure control unit 201, converted into an optical signal, and applied to the photoconductor 202. The latent image formed on the photoconductor 202 by the irradiation light is developed by the developing device 203. The transfer paper stacking unit 204 or 20 is synchronized with the leading edge of the developed image.
The transfer paper is conveyed from No. 5, and the developed image is transferred at the transfer unit 206. The transferred image is the fixing unit 207.
After being fixed on the transfer paper at, the paper is discharged from the paper discharge unit 208 to the outside of the apparatus. The transfer paper output from the paper output unit 208 is
When the sort function is working in the sorter 220, the paper is discharged to each bin, or when the sort function is not working, it is discharged to the highest bin of the sorter.

Next, a method for outputting sequentially read images on both sides of one output sheet will be described. Fixing unit 2
The output paper sheet, which has been fixed at 07, is once conveyed to the paper discharge section 208, then the conveyance direction of the paper sheet is reversed, and is conveyed to the re-feeding transfer sheet stacking section 210 via the conveyance direction switching member 209. When the next original is prepared, the original image is read in the same manner as in the above-mentioned process, but since the transfer paper is fed from the re-transferred transfer paper stacking section 210, the same output paper is eventually used. Two document images can be output on the front and back sides.

<Description of File Unit 5> FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the file unit 5. The configuration and operation will be described with reference to FIG. The file unit 5 is a connector 50
It is connected to the core unit 10 via 0 and exchanges various signals. The multi-valued input signal 551 is input to the compression circuit 503, where it is converted from multi-valued image information to compressed information,
Output to the memory controller 510 and the compression circuit 503.
Under control of memory A506, memory B507, memory C
508, the memory D509, or a combination of two sets of memories connected in cascade.

The memory controller 510 is a CPU 51.
6, a mode for exchanging data with the memory A 506, the memory B 507, the memory C 508, the memory D 509 and the CPU bus 560, and a mode for exchanging data with the CODEC bus 570 of the CODEC 517 for encoding / decoding, Memory A506, memory B50
7, a mode in which the contents of the memory C508 and the memory D509 are exchanged with the bus 562 from the scaling circuit 511 under the control of the DMA controller 518, and a signal 563 is sent to the memory A5 under the control of the timing generation circuit 514.
06-memory D509, and a mode for reading the memory contents from any of the memories A506-D509 and outputting to the signal line 558.

Each of the memory A 506, the memory B 507, the memory C 508, and the memory D 509 has a capacity of 2 Mbytes and stores an image corresponding to A4 at a resolution of 400 dpi. The timing generation circuit 514 uses the connector 50.
0 and the signal line 553 are connected, and control signals (HSYNC, HEN, VSYNC, VE) from the core unit 10 are connected.
N), it generates signals to accomplish the following two functions:

That is, the function of storing the image signal from the core unit 10 in any one of the memories A506 to D509 or two memories and the image information read from any one of the memories A506 to D509. , And the function of transmitting to the signal line 556. The dual port memory 515 includes a CPU of the core unit 10 via a signal line 554 and a file unit 5 via a signal line 560.
Is connected to the CPU 516. The respective CPUs exchange commands via the dual port memory 515. The SCSI controller 519 has a file unit 5
Interface with the external storage device 6 connected to. The external storage device 6 is specifically composed of a magneto-optical disk and stores data such as image information. C
The ODEC 517 reads the image information stored in any of the memory A 506 to the memory D 509, and
After being encoded by a desired H, MR, or MMR method, it is stored as encoded information in any of the memories A506 to D509. Also, memory A506 to memory D
The encoded information stored in 509 is read,
After decoding with the desired MR or MMR method,
The decoded information, that is, image information is stored in any of the memories A506 to D509.

Here, the case where the file information is stored in the external storage device 6 will be described. The multi-valued image signal (8 bits) from the reader unit 1 is input from the connector 500 and input to the compression circuit 503 through the signal line 551. Then, it is converted into compression information 552 by the compression circuit 503 and input to the memory controller 510. The memory controller 510 uses the timing signal 55 generated by the timing generation circuit 559 based on the signal 553 from the core unit 10.
The compressed signal 552 is stored in the memory A 506 according to 9. Here, the CPU 516 is the memory controller 510.
CODE memory A 506 and memory B 507 via
Connect to the bus line 570 of C517. CODEC 5
17 reads the compressed information from the memory A506,
Encoding is performed by the MR method, and the encoded information is stored in the memory B50.
Write to 7. When the CODEC 517 finishes encoding, the CPU 516 connects the memory B 507 to the CPU bus 560 via the memory controller 510. Then, the coded information 572 is stored in the external storage device 6 by sequentially reading the coded information from the memory B 507 and transferring it to the SCSI controller 519.

Next, an example of extracting information from the external storage device 6 and outputting it to the printer unit 2 will be described. Upon receiving the information retrieval / print command, the CPU 516 executes S
The encoded information is received from the external storage device 6 via the CSI controller 519, and the encoded information is transferred to the memory C508. At this time, the memory controller 51
0 connects the CPU bus 560 to the bus 566 of the memory C508 according to an instruction from the CPU 516. When the transfer of the encoded information to the memory C 508 is completed, the CPU 516 controls the memory controller 510 to cause the memory C
508 and the memory D509 to the CODEC 517 bus 57
Connect to 0. The CODEC 517 reads the coded information from the memory C 508, sequentially decodes the coded information, and then the memory D 5
It transfers to 09. When outputting to the printer unit 2, enlarge /
When scaling such as reduction is required, the memory D509 is connected to the bus 562 of the scaling circuit 511, and the DMA controller 51
The contents of the memory D509 are scaled under the control of No. 8.

The CPU 516 is a dual port memory 5
Communication with the CPU of the core unit 10 is performed via 15, and settings for printing out an image from the memory D509 to the printer unit 2 through the core unit 10 are performed. When the setting is completed, the CPU 516 activates the timing generation circuit 514, and a predetermined timing signal is output from the signal line 559 to the memory controller 510. The memory controller 510 outputs the signal 559 from the timing generation circuit 514.
The decoded information is read out from the memory D509 in synchronization with the above and transmitted to the signal line 556. The signal line 556 is input to the decompression circuit 504, where the information is decompressed. The output signal 555 of the expansion circuit 504 is output to the core unit 10 via the connector 500, and is output from the core unit 10 to the printer unit 2.

Next, the recording process of the document information by the mark sheet, which is the main part of this embodiment, will be described below. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a print output example of a mark sheet. In the figure, reference numeral 1101 is information for identifying an image recorded on a recording medium inserted in the external storage device 6 of the file unit 5, for classifying the document image information recorded on the recording medium. It is one of heading columns (index cells) that play a role like a keyword.
Reference numeral 1102 is a check box for selecting the headline section 1101, and the operator can select a desired headline section by filling this field with a pencil or the like. 110
Reference numeral 3 is a check column for selecting a mode for recording an image, 1104 is a check column for selecting a mode for searching an image, and 1105 is a check column for selecting a mode for registering an index column. Reference numeral 1106 is a field for a headline registered in a desired headline field. 1107 indicates a mark sheet, and
This is a mark for detecting and correcting the positional deviation of the mark sheet.

Next, the process of recording the document information using the above-mentioned mark sheet will be described below with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. When recording an image on a recording medium, a check mark is recorded in advance in the record check column 1103 of the mark sheet, and a check mark is recorded in the check column 1102 of the desired registered index cell. A document to be recorded together is read from the reader unit 1.

First, in step S101, it is determined whether or not a document is set on the feeding device 101, and if it is not set, the process proceeds to step S102 to display a document setting request. If the original is set, the process proceeds to step S103, the original is fed onto the platen, and the original is read. Here, the image information of the document read from the reader unit 1 is sent to the file unit 5 and stored in any of the memories A506 to D509. And step S
At 104, the CPU 516 of the file unit 5 determines whether the image information stored in any of the memories A506 to D509 is a mark sheet based on the presence or absence of the mark 1107 for mark sheet determination. As a result, if the document read from the reader unit 1 is not the mark sheet, it is determined whether the mark sheet has already been read. If it has been read, the process proceeds to step S110, and the image is recorded on the recording medium in correspondence with the set index information.

On the other hand, if the original read from the reader unit 1 is a mark sheet in step S104, step S1
Proceeding to 05, the predetermined check column of the mark sheet is read and binarized into a pseudo halftone by a known error diffusion method or the like. When reading the check box, the placement position of the reader unit 1 on the platen is displaced (up / down / left / right displacement, rotation).
Since there is a case where the check box of the read mark sheet is misaligned due to factors such as the expansion and contraction of the mark sheet paper, the mark 110 for correcting the misalignment of the mark sheet is used.
7 is used to correct these deviations by comparing with a predetermined format, and the check column is read.

Next, in step S106, the check box of the mark sheet is determined, and in the subsequent step S107, the result is determined. Here, this determination processing will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, step S
In 201, a counter for counting the total number of effective pixels is initialized, and in step S202, it is determined whether the pixel of interest is black. As a result, if black, the process proceeds to step S204,
Count up the counter. However, if it is white, the process proceeds to step S203 to check whether or not there are a certain number or more of black pixels in the vicinity of the pixel of interest.
Then, the process proceeds to step S205, it is determined whether or not all the check box areas have been checked, and if the check is not completed, the process returns to step S202 to repeat the above-described processing.

Thereafter, when all the checks are completed, the process proceeds to step S206, and it is determined whether the value of the counter is a certain value or more. Here, if it is equal to or more than the certain value, the process proceeds to step S207 and it is determined that it is checked, and if it is not more than the certain value, the process proceeds to step S208 and it is determined that it is not checked. In this way, the number of pixels for which the mark is valid for the data in the read check box area is counted,
When the total number of effective pixels exceeds a certain number, it is determined that the check box is marked. Note that a pixel is valid when it is black and invalid when it is white, but even if it is white, it is judged to be valid when there are a certain number or more of black pixels in the neighboring pixels.

Returning to FIG. 6, if the above determination result is checked, the process proceeds to step S108, and the selected index cell is set as index information. Next, in step S109, it is checked whether or not a document to be continuously read is set, and if it is set, the process returns to step S103 and, as described above, according to the classification of the selected index cell, is stored in the external storage device 6. Record the image.

As described above, according to the embodiment, by restoring the information to be written on the mark sheet from the pseudo halftone data, even when the mark sheet and the normal original are mixed and read under the same condition, the marking is performed. This has the effect of making accurate determinations. The present invention may be applied to a system including a plurality of devices or an apparatus including a single device.

It goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to the case where it is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to accurately recognize the information written on the mark sheet by binarizing it in pseudo halftone.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image processing system in this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a reader unit 1 and a printer unit 2 shown in FIG.

3 is a schematic block diagram showing a signal processing circuit of a reader unit 1 shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a file unit 5 shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a printout example of a mark sheet according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a document image recording process using a mark sheet.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a determination process of a check box of a mark sheet.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus for processing an image according to information on a read mark sheet, a reading unit for reading information written on the mark sheet, and binarizing the information read by the reading unit into a pseudo halftone. Binarizing means, judging means for judging the presence or absence of information filled in by the binarized data, and processing means for processing an image according to the judgment result by the judging means. An image processing apparatus having.